RUSTON – Louisiana Tech's volleyball team is looking to bounce back when they host the Battle for the Boot at the Thomas Assembly Center on September 13-14.
The Battle for the Boot is in its third year and offers teams from Louisiana a chance to play each other close to home. All four teams have participated each year, with Southeastern hosting the first tournament and Northwestern State hosting last season's event.
 
DATE/TIME: Friday-Saturday, September 13-14, 6 p.m. CT | 11 a.m. CT | 2:30 p.m.
LOCATION: Ruston, La. (Thomas Assembly Center)
STATS: LATechSports.com/Stats
SERIES RECORD: LA Tech, 13-8 | LA Tech, 26-12 | LA Tech, 6-0
LAST MEETING: L, 3-0 (9/16/23, Natchitoches) | L, 3-0 (9/15/23, Natchitoches) | W, 3-1 (9/15/23, Natchitoches)
 
ABOUT LOUISIANA TECH (3-4)
Louisiana Tech is coming off the Wooo Pig Invitational, where they lost to Little Rock, Rutgers, and No. 21 Arkansas.
 
Giulia Bonifacio continues to lead the Bulldogs' offensive attack. The junior transfer has led Tech in kills in six of the seven matches this season. Her 3.05 kills per set are eighth in the conference.
 
Rori Gray continues to leave her mark as one of the top freshmen. She currently ranks 27th in the nation and second in the conference with a .442 hitting percentage, the top freshman in the country. She also ranks 22nd in the conference with 2.21 kills per set.
 
On the defensive side of the ball, Charlize Williams averages 1.05 blocks per set, ranking eighth in the league.
 
After McKenzie Johnson suffered a season-ending injury, Riley Steubing stepped up for the Bulldogs at Libero. In two sets against Little Rock, the sophomore finished with 15 digs for a new career high. She would break that mark with 18 against Rutgers and lead the team with 11 against No. 22 Arkansas.
 
ABOUT SOUTHEASTERN (3-4)
The Lions have reached the NCAA Tournament in each of the last two seasons but are off to a slow start due to the departure of key contributors.
 
After dropping their first four matches of the season, Southeastern has won three straight heading into the Battle for the Boot.
 
The Lions are one of the top blocking teams in the country. Their 2.89 blocks per set rank 18th and their 78.0 total blocks rank second. India Bennett is a big reason for that, with a 1.52 average, ranking her 14th in the nation. Southeastern has four players with over 20 total blocks on the season, with Bennett having 32, Keira Beverly with 24, Alexis Logarbo with 23, and Hannah Brewer with 21.
 
On the offensive side of the net, Cicily Hidalgo and Logarbo lead the team with 2.96 and 2.00 kills per set.
 
ABOUT NORTHWESTERN STATE (4-3)
The Demons are another team that has been making adjustments this season. Northwestern State started the season 4-1 with a win against UL-Lafayette but has lost two straight, including falling to Grambling on Tuesday night.
 
NSU is another team with strong blocking ability. The Demons rank 37th in blocks per set (2.63) and eighth in total blocks (71). They are led by Deja Benjamin, Olivia Bush, and Samaya Wesson, who all average over 1.00 per set. All three have over 25.0 total blocks, with Benjamin leading the way at 37.0.
 
Reaghan Thompson and Teresa Garza are the top attackers for Northwestern State. Thompson leads the team with 3.96, while Garza, who did not play in the exhibition match in which Tech won all four sets, has a 3.62 average.
 
Gabby Seeds has come on as the primary setter. She ranks in the top 80 in the country with 196 total assists.
 
ABOUT SOUTHERN (1-6)
The Jaguars have struggled out the block but hope their win against New Orleans propels them into a winning streak.
 
Dawn Barnes is leading the Jaguars in her first year in Baton Rouge. Barnes came to Southern after spending last season at Phoenix College and has made stops at South Carolina State, Chicago State, and Howard.
 
Southern is one of the best serving teams in the country, with an average of 2.00 aces per set and 48 total aces, both ranking in the top 40. Marian Attaway is a big reason, as the senior has 11 on the season.
 
Tamara Chavez, Alicia Hearn, and Jordan Felix average over 1.50 kills per set for the Jaguars. Felix also leads the team with 113 assists on the season.
 
The defensive leaders are Kiarra Rosales, Felix, Hearn, and Jasmine Okorafor. Rosales and Felix have 63 and 41 digs, respectively, while Hearn and Okorafor have 18 and 16 total blocks.
 
QUOTABLES
Head Coach Amber McCray
 
"It feels great to get a break from traveling and get to compete at home this weekend. Our annual Battle of the Boot tournament provides three opportunities for us to compete against in-state teams and student-athletes we are very familiar with. We have been working all week to clean up areas that most plagued us last weekend, namely our offense and ability to score points by staying aggressive in all aspects of the game. We know we can be more disciplined from the start of each match, and especially in the red zone when we need the extra push to finish. This weekend provides a valuable opportunity bounce back, and I'm excited to see us do just that. "
 
THE SERIES
The Bulldogs are 13-8 all-time against Southeastern, 26-12 against Northwestern State, and 6-0 versus Southern. The Bulldogs fell 3-0 to the Lions and Demons at last year's Battle for the Boot, but defeated Southern 3-1
 
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